phytotomy

English

Etymology

From phyto- +‎ -tomy.

Noun

phytotomy (uncountable)

1. (botany, dated) The study of the internal structures of plants.
   • 1821, Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, K. Sprengel, anonymous translator, Elements of the Philosophy of Plants‎, translation of original in German:

     Phytotomy, or anatomy of plants

   • 1877, George Gulliver, “List of Plants which afford Raphides, Sphæraphides, Long Crystal Prisms, and Short Prismatic Crystals”, in Henry Lawson, editor, The Monthly Microscopical Journal‎:

     Having often been asked for the names of the plants in which these crystals may be most conveniently examined and distinguished, probably a short list of them, with a few explanatory remarks, would be useful to the students of this interesting and too much neglected branch of microscopic phytotomy.

   • 1895, William Darling, The Essentials of Anatomy‎:

     Anatomy may be divided into two great classes, Phytotomy, or vegetable anatomy, and Zoötomy, or animal anatomy.

Derived terms

• phytotomist

Translations

study of the internal structures of plants

German: Phytotomie (de) f Italian: fitotomia f Spanish: fitotomía (es) f